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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2016 Trump's success among Democrats could be a direct result of die-hard Bernie Sanders voters who felt bitter following the way Clinton beat the democratic socialist Vermont senator. However, the dislike for Clinton runs further than Sanders loyalists and her links with Wall Street and the investigations over the use of her personal email while serving as Secretary of State cost her votes among other categories of voters. Trump also won 61% of votes cast by people serving in the military and 58% of the Protestant/Christian vote and 52% of the Catholic vote. On the other hand, Clinton fared much better among Jewish voters and atheists. Why did they vote for Trump? The popularity of Trump – and Bernie Sanders – stems from the anger many Americans feel against globalisation and international trade deals, the corrupt Washington system and growing in- equality. The exit polls found that 38% voted for change while only 22% voted for experience. Among Clinton sup- porters, experience and judgment were the most important factors, while among Trump supporters, it was all about change. Despite being a realty TV star and billionaire with close ties to both major parties, lobbies and corpo- rations, Trump portrayed himself as the anti-estab- lishment candidate and this narrative resonated with angry voters who wanted a "strong leader who can take the country back from the rich and powerful". More than five in 10 vot- ers – split almost evenly between Clinton and Trump voters – said the economy was the most important issue confronting the country. Terrorism, immigration and for- eign policy took a backseat in many voters' minds. But of those who said immigration was the key issue, more than 70% voted for Trump while among those who identified foreign policy as the key issue, more than 60% voted for Clinton. Voters who saw terrorism as the biggest concern were roughly split between the two candidates. While Trump might have been ridiculed for his outrageously racist and sexist comments and actions, Clinton remained highly unpopular and did not offer an alternative nar- rative to Trump's bravado. Nearly 70% of all voters viewed Clinton as untrustworthy and dis- honest. She represented the old guard and while she might have stood for extended healthcare cov- erage, further gun control, bet- ter wages and recognised climate change as a threat, unlike Bernie Sanders, Clinton did not offer an alternative to the failed neoliberal model. Is this the end of the world as we know it? Following the announcement of Trump's victory one could have easily thought that Armageddon was immi- nent as social media sites were set alight by messages of fear and doom, markets tumbled and the Canadian migration portal crashed. Trump's warped worldview, his denial of climate change and his racist beliefs will at best bring economic uncertainty and at worst social unrest and violence. But his policies are inconsistent. He has been for and against gun control, for and against abortion, for and against free trade, for and against extending healthcare coverage. His flimsy positions on more public spending and iso- lationist stance will find opposition from within the Re- publican Party and beyond. Trump voters could be the first to feel the full brunt of his policies, especially if he follows through on his prom- ises to withdraw the US from the Paris climate deal, ex- pel millions of migrants, cut taxes for the rich, remove consumer protection laws and privatise education and social security services. He has also vowed to repeal Obamacare and roll the clock back on abortion. His promise to introduce trade tariffs could also see the US enter into trade wars with China and economic blocs. However, the US is not a third-world country and Trump's deflationary economics, xenophobia and di- vide-and-rule politics will be opposed by the Democrats, civil society and if necessary challenged in court at state and federal levels. The Democrats might be dazed and confused by the unexpected magnitude of their loss but Sanders has already warned that "if Donald Trump takes people's anger and turns it against Muslims, Hispanics, African Americans and women, we will be his worst nightmare." Following Brexit and Trump's victory, the spectre of far-right nationalism is upon us. This could only be the beginning, with far-right par- ties set to increase their vote in next year's elections in France, Germany, Austria, the Nether- lands and other countries. However, this could also embolden the left to offer an alternative narrative – some- thing which it has not been able to do since the fall of the Berlin wall – and dethrone the unaccountable and authoritarian elites and punish the establishment without becoming hostage to misanthropic nar- ratives like Trump's. jbalzan@mediatoday.com.mt 13 US Elections Who voted for whom? Hillary Clinton Donald Trump The dislike for Clinton runs further than Sanders loyalists and her links with Wall Street and the investigations over the use of her personal email while serving as Secretary of State cost her votes among other categories of voters unaccountable and authoritarian elites and punish the establishment without becoming hostage to misanthropic nar- ratives like Trump's. Male 41% 53% Female 54% 42% White 37% 58% Black 88% 8% Hispanic/Latino 65% 29% Asian 65% 29% Other 56% 37% 18-29 55% 37% 30-44 50% 42% 45-64 44% 53% 65 and over 45% 53% High school 45% 51% Some college 43% 52% Graduate 49% 45% Postgraduate 58% 37% City over 50,000 59% 35% Suburbs 45% 50% Small city/rural 34% 62% Protestant 39% 58% Catholic 45% 52% Jewish 71% 24% Something else 62% 29% None 68% 26% Trump's and Bernie Sanders's (pictured) popularity stems from the anger many Americans feel against globalisation and international trade deals, the corrupt Washington system and growing inequality.